Part 1: Why get an inspection?

 

In today’s hot market you might think about skipping the inspection- don’t. Home inspections are an important part of house buying. A house may look like it’s in fantastic shape but a big expense can be looming. Roof replacements, lead pipes, cracked foundations….these problems may not be visible to the naked eye and can be very expensive to fix.

A licensed inspector knows what they are looking for or if they find something questionable they will recommend an expert to take a second look and provide a quote to fix any issues. If major issues are found; you can go back to the seller and request that they fix the issue or reduce the purchase price so that you can pay to have it fixed. Or, if it's something that you are just not comfortable with, you can terminate the contract.  

It’s more than a check, it’s protection for your future.

When you contract an inspection you are asking the company to take an in-depth look at the home for any issues. A good inspector will deep-dive into the home looking for any irregularities and then writes a comprehensive report for your consideration. 

Recently you may have noticed that real estate companies are offering homes for sale that have already had the inspection done. Although it sounds like an excellent offer I do have a word of caution. The pre-inspected home is great for the seller, it gives them a chance to fix any small issues and price the house accordingly for larger ones. As the buyer I would not give up my right to a double check.  I am sure that the report is on the up and up but if anything was missed on the report you have no recourse. The inspection report was generated on behalf of the seller and therefor doesn’t have liability coverage for you.

Also some sellers are not allowing the buyers to conduct their own inspections; this raises red flags to me. Why won’t they let you inspect the house? What if their inspector did not look at everything? Home inspectors may not specialize in certain aspects of the home and request additional inspections. If these were not conducted, the inspection is incomplete and the report is not worth the paper it is written on.  On the flip side - sellers, by not allowing a buyer to conduct their own inspection, you could be leaving yourself open to liability after the sale closes.  It is always a good idea to allow the buyer the opportunity to conduct their due diligence on the property.

Without an inspection, the time and opportunity for you to do your due diligence is cut significantly; the impact can be great. The excitement of finding the perfect home with the right number of bedrooms, the layout and style is very exciting. Buying a home is a big investment; you should take your time and make sure this is the best decision for you.